in parentheses

From now on the land is burnt and skeletons go dragging their skin in tow from one bluff to another ridge to a hill halved and a mountain tumbled in ruins hollowed homes, harried and mutant creatures boiled and crisp hunger behind rodent children mottled and blind squealing and quarreling with limbs, dunes agape mirages vivid crucifixions and waterless wells chutes of affliction for those awoken mid-dream to the nightmares past trying their leprous hands at the stones now heaving now opening now eating, and geriatrics turned vultures downswooping plight upon the undead clamouring clan stalking oneyed their cretin prey fleeing in flocks into boles open bellies and caverns seething cities fed by the necromancer and enveloped in warlock chant that from the hall of government does fall, and all this for the city behind the magi’s cloak somewhere drifting an island in her wizard’s lake veiled by the smoke and buzzards of the alchemist’s call, all this for the people’s voices singing high in the hall of government alleluia alleluia alleluia